Lord, Clean This Temple

All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name – It wasn’t always so. Today’s passage is from the early days of Jesus’ ministry, when most people, even in Jerusalem, were trying to figure out who Jesus was and most importantly, what authority He had.

Our Gospel reading from John 2 is a passage which is at least somewhat familiar to both Christians and most people who have grown up in America. Listen again as I explain this passage and its meaning.

It was almost time for the Jewish Passover. Every spring, at a time which was tied to the moon, the Jewish nation would celebrate a special meal, with special sacrifices at the great Temple of God in Jerusalem. This was not Solomon’s Temple which had been destroyed by the Babylonians when the people were taken into captivity about 800 years earlier, but this Second Temple had been built around 515 BC. The Temple had been completely renovated and vastly expanded with a program started by King Herod the Great, during a forty year period beginning about 15 years before Jesus’ birth. The Temple was the largest temple complex in the Roman world. Today, just the Western retaining wall remains, which you see on television as a place of prayer for Jews. The remainder was destroyed in 70 A.D. by the Roman army.

There was an outer court for the Gentles, non-Jewish visitors. There was a death sentence for Gentles who entered further into the Temple. The next inner court allowed Jewish women who could not pass into the next court which allowed ordinary Jewish men, the next allowed just Jewish priests, and then there was the inner area, reserved for the High Priest, who entered it once a year on Yom Kippur, the September Jewish Day of Atonement, when this man would wash, purify himself specially, and take a special offering of blood from a specially sacrificed perfect bull into the Holy of Holies. Before he entered, other priests would tie a rope securely to his leg. He would enter, and pour the blood on the Mercy Seat on the Ark of the Covenant, between the two Cherubin to cover any sins that Israel had committed that had not been covered by any other sacrifice. Why the rope? It was there in case the High Priest had done something wrong or sinful. It was there to pull his dead body out of the Holy of Holies – High Priests had been known to be killed suddenly by God if they were out of order – or had secret sin. It was a deadly serious job to make the annual sacrifice. That happened at Yom Kippur, just before the fall Festival of Booths.

But this was Passover week, the week when people from all over Israel came to make their sacrifice of their best bull, cow, lamb, or a pair of doves, depending upon their wealth. Most chose a lamb because that was what they could afford. Thousands of lambs were sacrificed that week in Jerusalem. They were remembering that night 1500 years before when the Angel of Death had flown over Egypt, the tenth of the plagues that God had decreed, the plague that killed the firstborn of the Egyptians and finally convinced Pharaoh to let Moses and the Israelites leave. But to avoid the Angel of Death, the Israelites had to sacrifice a lamb, take its blood and slap it on the doorposts and the over head lintel in the doorway of their homes, they roasted the lamb in the house that night as thousands of Egyptians – and unbelieving Israelites – died. And then, the next morning, the Israelites fled for the desert, following Moses, who was following a pillar of smoke that was God.

Jerusalem city had a normal population of about a hundred thousand people, but the city population would more than double for the festival – most people stayed about a week, crowding into the homes of relatives and guest houses. One of these visitors that Passover Week, perhaps in the spring of the year 32 was a young carpenter who had become a rabbi, a teacher. The man was named Y’shua. Joshua – or as the Romans eventually called Him – Jesus of Nazareth.  

Nazareth – indeed the whole northern area around the Sea of Galilee – was considered by the urban people of Jerusalem to be a place where hicks lived. The men of Galilee had a different accent than the sophisticated people of Jerusalem. And so the people of Jerusalem treated Galileans as people from Atlanta treat men from Alabama, or people from Pittsburgh or Columbus or New York treat men from West Virginia – they considered them uneducated, yokels, hillbillies, rednecks, and a little bit stupid. The city versus country rivalry is nothing new – no, it dates back thousands of years. Today, a country preacher would walk into the center of the Great Temple in Jerusalem. And He would not like what He saw.

In the Temple, mainly in the outermost courts of the Gentles, it had become common and the custom for people to set up booths and pens to sell visitors the cattle, sheep, lambs, and doves they might need, for some people showed up without the proper animals to sacrifice and would need to buy an animal or two, much as someone who had come to see a Broadway play today or attend a fancy restaurant might arrive without proper clothing and need to buy a more formal jacket. Naturally, these animals cost much more than buying the animal outside the Temple area.

It was also rumored that there was a scam going on – the animals had to be “without blemish”. Animal inspectors checked your lamb, and they were very sharp eyed, finding the smallest of spots. When your lamb was rejected, you would be referred to the brother-in-law of the inspector, who ran one of the animal booths.

Actually, there were additional booths for changing money. Unlike today, where the same money is used across America, and one coinage is used across Europe, in ancient Israel, many different coins circulated. Some were brought by Jews who lived in other parts of the Empire or even outside the Empire. Other coins were just acquired during normal trade. And the Temple required a special coinage be used, supposedly so “impure” foreign coins would not pollute or desecrate the Temple. So visitors always had to get their money changed – and the moneychangers took a significant cut.

And so when Jesus arrived, Jesus saw that these men and women who ran these booths and stalls were blocking people from getting close to God, from making the sacrifices that the Law of Moses required.

Today, there are still churches who do the same. How? Do we have people selling animals and changing coins in the entranceway? No. But perhaps a church has a dress code – men must wear jackets and women must wear dresses. Just to show respect for God? But the people of the church forget that there are many people who can’t afford a hundred dollars for a jacket and another hundred dollars for a woman’s dress – especially if similar clothes are also needed for the children. That’s why we say dirty blue jeans are ok.

Another way today’s church puts up barriers to people is to pass the plate for special collections – you only need to give $10 or $20! But what if I don’t even have $5 to give – I’ll feel embarrassed and probably won’t return. And so we leave the plate at the entryway so no one is embarrassed.

What are some other ways we put up barriers like the Temple did? Maybe every week the pastor says, “Open up your bibles to such-and-such scripture.” What if I don’t have a bible? That why we used to have bibles in the pews – and we shifted to putting the scripture on the overhead screen so people who have trouble finding Amos Chapter 9 don’t have to search through their bible to find it.

We probably have other barriers today – but we try to get rid of these barriers. Why?

Because Jesus, when He saw what was happening in the Temple made a whip out of cords and attacked the sheep, cattle, and shopkeepers. He flipped over the tables of the moneychangers and chased out the sellers of doves. Let me make this clear, it wasn’t the fact things were being sold in the building, it was the way the cost of getting close to God was being run up by the merchants. Unlike what many people think who place barriers in front of people – dress well, get rid of your tats, stop drinking before you can come to church - Jesus really wants to make it easy and simple to get close to God. Jesus wants everyone to come to God – just as you are!

Well, all this commotion from Jesus attracted some attention, as you can imagine. You can just see the merchants stopping behind a row of fences and yelling back at Jesus: “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” “WHO ARE YOU?” they asked. They wanted him to say that he had come from the High Priest or from the head of the Sanhedrin, the religious council. They would have accepted it if he was from the Roman governor or King Herod.

You know, the Gospel of John was never meant to be read just once. The Gospel was designed so that the first time you read through it, you are wondering who Jesus is, just like the people in the story wonder. But after you have read through once, you can go back and, knowing the ending, our eyes are opened and we can see much clearer who Jesus is. It is like one of those movies that moves so quickly we don’t really understand it until the end – and then we have to go back and watch it again to fully understand it. Like the masterpieces The Book of Eli, or The Shawshank Redemption, there is so much that doesn’t make sense until the end – and we have to go back and look again with our eyes opened.

The people asked Jesus to prove His authority to chase the merchants out of the Temple. And Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”

The people listening thought Jesus was talking about the magnificent Second Temple in which they were standing. They pointed out it had taken 46 years to build the temple – and yet you, Jesus, will raise it again in just three days?

John tells us that the temple Jesus was speaking of was his body. The disciples remembered this after He was raised from the dead, and then believed.

You see, Jesus is filled with God the Son. His own completely human body was full of God. And this is another tricky concept about Jesus we have to understand.

Jesus was a completely human man. Jesus was also completely God on the earth. After hashing this out for decades, the assembled bishops of the ancient church decided that Jesus had two natures – God and human – and they aren’t mixed together, He isn’t part God and part human, but His two natures are both completely present in Him. 1 + 1 = 1.  One God nature plus 1 human nature = 1 Christ.

And so, the temple of which Jesus spoke is His own body. For where can God be worshipped better than when we speak directly to God on the earth who is Jesus the Christ?

And this leads us back to last week’s discussion of the Spirit. For the Holy Spirit enters each Christian, typically at baptism, and so our bodies become temples of the Holy Spirit, and should be kept pure and holy temples, clean and in excellent condition. How is your temple? Is it clean and pure? Or is it dirty and grimy, in need of repair?

If Jesus came to you and said He’d like to live in your spare room, what condition would you put that room into? Wouldn’t you sweep it, vacuum it, clean the walls, repaint it, and put only the best furniture in it?

How about your body, your mind, your brain? The Spirit is living there.

And when we go back and think about Jesus cleansing the Temple to make it simpler for people to come to God…what do we do that puts barriers in front of people and keeps us from leading people to God?

Perhaps we only want to allow perfect sheep near us. I once knew a church which had such high standards that the only people who were good enough for that church were the people who attended…and the people who had left the church. They held one outreach event each year…they sent out letters to all the former members, most of whom had left 30 years before, and invited them to a homecoming event. And one or two would come every year, and then return to their current churches. Yet they would not invite the people in the neighborhood to any events. They had fellowship luncheons every quarter – but no community dinners. Those in the neighborhood weren’t Christians, you see, so they weren’t invited. Those in the neighborhood didn’t dress well, they didn’t speak well, they used foul language, they drank, they fought. Yes, I knew this church and then a few years later I met another church just like them. And then a third church.

But here, I am delighted to say, we encourage all sheep to join us.

But back to us as individuals. Jesus said to go to all people. Have we decided to select which people we will go to? Have you thought in your mind that a particular person might not be worth inviting to hear about Jesus? Is it because they are too poor – or because they are too wealthy? When was the last time you spoke with your doctor about the things of God?

Oh, I know we find friends who are just like us. But can that be a barrier to leading someone to Jesus? How about people who are new to this country? Saundra and I found great success when we made friends of international students at Marietta College. We made some great friends – and led several of them to become baptized Christians. You can too.

For Jesus is not the only person with the authority to chase evil out of the temple. If you love God, if you want to be close to God, God will support you getting closer to God or helping others get close to God.

What are the barriers you have put in front of yourself? Do you say, “I don’t know enough about Jesus to speak to people about Him?” Or do you say “I don’t know enough about Jesus to come to church?”

Either are just barriers that need to be removed, and you have the authority to remove those barriers. Come talk with me and we will help you remove those barriers.

For the barriers are usually, “I don’t think I know enough” or “I don’t think people will want to see me” or “I’m not good enough.” Or “I’m just uncomfortable and nervous about the things of church.”

Relax. You are welcome. Church is a place to learn, to make friends, to be with a group of people who are learning how to be good enough, to be with a group of people who once were uncomfortable and nervous and now can’t wait to come back here.

For Jesus cleansed the Temple so that anyone could walk in. And we believe that here. There are people here who have spoken to Africans in Africa about Jesus, People who have spoken with Saudi Moslems about Jesus, people who have led Chinese Communist party members to Christ, and people who have changed from being outspoken atheists to becoming teachers of the Bible. There are people who have given the homeless and the poor respect and helped the wealthy become humble. There are farmers and office workers and nurses and McDonald’s workers here. Some have worked in large corporations; others have run their own businesses, still others have been teachers or engineers or dentists or lawyers. Others have not worked much outside the home. Some are married, others divorced, others have never married, some have been married more than once. And their kids attend also, while others watch online on Monday evenings because they can’t make it on Sundays due to work. For, you see, all are welcome here.

Yet, we all still put up barriers to people – yet we are all working to take down these barriers we each have to others. Have you noticed that the world encourages putting up barriers to others, by insisting we speak of politics, of national origin, of race, of so many things to make sure we decide who is “okay” and who is “not okay”?

Jesus drove out those who would put barriers between people and God. We should drive out the barriers, destroying them ourselves – and we are working on that. That is the difference between the true follower of Christ and the pretender. We are trying to remove those barriers, welcoming all.

If you are listening to us but have not yet joined us, will you try to help us by stepping over the tables we have torn down, by climbing over the fences we are dismantling, by walking past the cow patties that we are sweeping out of our lives because we found they are barriers to helping lead others to Christ. Perhaps you can join us as we sing:  

Forgive us Lord